Reflection in the Mirror
The sun beat down on the world as a lone man trudged through the forest. He pushed away the branches as they moved into his path, hearing the leaves rustling as he pushed them. "You really know how to pick the jobs in the most out of the way locations don't you Xero" The man thought to himself as he pushed the last of the branches out of the way to reveal a clearing in the woods. "So this is the house the job talked about huh. Some punk ice magician and his goons causing trouble and all I need is the head of that joker." Xero thought to himself as he casually strolled up to the door kicked it in to reveal a couple of men drinking around a table and a much larger one behind a bar. "Hey there friends my names Jeffery and I'm your local serial killer, can you spare a head or two." He spoke in a overly happy tone that obviously told he was not who he said he was but that he was there to kill them. The goons charged him with their own weapons and Xero jumped back and rolled into the clearing. As they charged at him he simply waved his hand and a rift opened below them swallowing them up to who knows where. The larger man then stepped out of the door and fired off multiple spears of ice in his direction. Xero created as rift as the icicles neared him and another in front of the man. The icicles shot through the rift and came out the other, impaling the man. Xero then strolled over the him and quickly removed his head with a slash of his knife before placing it in a bag. Meanwhile, a woman strolled through the unmarked territory with a casual ease. Her smile was chilling, and there was the whispers of a storm in her proceeding path. Aojiro had successfully managed to recruit some baddies as she called them, their powers both useful and incredibly destructive. The best of both worlds in her mind. Her soul itched for a battle however; it had been too long since she went guild hunting. While outwardly it appeared that she was helping the Magic Council by trimming the number of dark guilds down, she was simply augmenting the strength of her own, while placing them in a better position of negotiation when it came time for such things. Her state of mind was broken by the sound of a body falling in tandem with a voice. In particular, the smell of demon stole across her nose. "What do we have here?" Aojiro asked venomously. The grin from earlier grew colder; perhaps the day wasn't lost yet. She turned before heading into the direction of the scent, nimbly navigating the landscape at a speed that would make God Leg users jealous. She had long surpassed such rudimentary magic for something more potent. Part of her wondered what a demon was doing out here on their own. Pausing, she saw the house that Xero had just entered and exited. In particular, she witnessed his brutal decapitation of the individual after turning the latter's attacks against him. She stepped into the clearing while clapping. "Bravo, truly a wonderful spectacle," Aojiro said with a malevolent smirk. If such gruesome behavior was the beginnings of his capabilities, she couldn't wait to see what else he had in store. "Hey thanks, glad to see people admire my work." Xero replied casually. As he turned towards to voice to reveal a quite charming woman with flowing white locks and glowing red eyes. As Xero looked at her he could sense something off about her. "Hmm she seems kinda otherworldly, almost...demonic! Oh my god this girl is a demon, thats pretty cool." Xero thought to himself seeing how he was a half demon himself. He then began to walk over and properly greet the girl before out of nowhere he dashed forwards and pushed her out of the way as a body fell on him from the sky, others rained down behind him. "Sorry about that." He apologized as he stood up, pushing the dead body off of him. "It's just rude to let my problems fall on other people." He spoke as he held out a hand to help her up. "It's no problem. I appreciate those capable of doing such deeds," Aojiro stated in response. The guy continued to approach in a manner that suggested creating until he pushed her. She skillfully executed a backflip before landing in a paralelo position. Once steadied, Aojiro stood up. Her eyes glowed with a red fervor until she saw Xero under a corpse. She then listened to his explanation before watching other corpses fall from the sky. Aojiro guessed that these were the other individuals that he was responsible for executing. "Fair enough, I suppose. Though what is a hybrid like you doing out here on your lonesome? Now that your mission is complete, it doesn't make sense." Part of her was tempted to recruit him solely on the apathetic manner he displayed when skillfully killing all of the people involved, though she would withhold that offer for now. "What's your name?" Aojiro asked, feeling her berserker bloodline continue to lurk below the surface. It was calling for a massacre after seeing such proficient murder. "Gahh how the hell do you know I'm a demon!" Xero screeched as he jumped away from the girl before briefly remembering that she was probably also a demon. "Oh wait you're a demon too aren't you." He sighed in relief as he looked back at the girl, confirming his beliefs by once again coparing their similar features. "Sorry about that, I'm Xero Mirazmus." The man stated as he sighed. "I like to just releax after I go on a hunting spree ya know. It's not easy hiding being a demon from some of these asshole humans. Esspecially those one who can sense the bloodlust." Xero spoke as he unfureled a blanket onto the bloodstained grass and sat down upon it before producing a basket of steaming pasteries and placing them down. As he grabbed one and took a bite he turned to the girl and looked at her before pointing to the basket with his free hand. "Want some, they have custard?" Aojiro grinned at the man's discomfort. "Because I'm an honorable individual, I'll give you two reasons for why I know." She laughed when he said she was a demon. "Close, but I'm actually a hybrid like you. Now here's where it gets interesting." Her laugh from earlier turned malicious. "I'm also a Devil Slayer Xero. My name is Aojiro Bonez," she stated with the calmness of the small talk. Her laugh melted into that signature smirk of hers, while the wind grew slightly unsettled. It's as if nature was sending a signal that this girl was dangerous, very much so. This was the Aojiro that had massacred entire dark guilds, slaughtering their members like cattle while laughing at their misery. This was the one that had bisected a dark mage in front of his lover, only to decapitate her with brutal ease. A lethal nature was embedded with her, and the beserker bonez bloodline sang through her bones. She was the embodiment of malevolence, and the natural world recognized her as such, lapsing into silence while she stood bored. The risk of tempting her attention was too great in the mind of the environment. "Custard...I'll pass thank you. But tell me more about these asshole humans," Aojiro said innocently, as if unaware of the profound effect she had on the land around her. "I see well you seem nice enough for a devil slayer but Iv'e never quite heard of a hybrid one." He spoke as he ate another pastry before laying down on the grass so he was looking up at her. "So you're a Bonez isn't that a demon family? That's pretty damn cool Aojiro." Xero spoke with a large smile on his face. Smiles and emotions, faking them was something Xero was a master of. It isn't easy to live a lie for all of your life without picking things like this up. Xero's mind was currently putting eveything together like it usually did. Analyze whoever you meet and see what happens. Xero had currently picked up on almost everything about her that she had shown so far. Her stormy aura was wafting through the air like a pie on a windowsill. Her maleveolent smile showed the pure dakrness of hell. This girl was truly a member of the fabled Bonez family. Of course he didn't want her to know he knew all this so he kept up his facade. "Well those humans I spoke of were the villagers of the place I originally lived. My dad was a famed treasure hunter and my mother was a powerful Archdemon but nobody knew that part. That is until one fateful day that some asshole barged into our house with an arrest warrant for my mother on terms of demonic activity or some shit. She calmly tossed him from our house and told us to pack our things. We left the village as a mob fired magic after magic after us. My mother warped us away to Magnolia Town where she set me up with an apartment and left me alone as she and my father left for the demon realm. She was gentle with these people, wanted me to be able to blend in and have a life as a human." Xero finished as he stared into the sky. "Well now you have." Aojiro stated, her boredom dispelled by the information Xero told her. Being a skilled tactician of deception herself, she could tell that his story held a ring of truth. Little did he know that his life may very well depend on it. That he was an archdemon's offspring proved to be of terrible interest. "Perhaps I was lucky that during my childhood no one knew my heritage, myself included. Ignorance being the bliss that protected me from a situation like yours. Though it seems that you have managed just fine since." Aojiro said with a comfortable ease. Her stormy aura disappeared, causing the entire landscape to breathe once more. She yawned. "Also, please dispense with such a transparent smile. Maybe you've fooled hundreds of ignorant humans with such tactics, but I'm afraid they will be ineffective on me. Especially considering your background would make such an action rather difficult for me to believe. Though you do possess quite a bit of potential." Aojiro finished thoughtfully. Perhaps she had found another recruit. Considering Xero's broken background and considerable proficiency with both a blade and his magic, Aojiro decided that he might be worth a shot. She would test him first though. "What are your plans for the future? To continue hiding among humans until they discover your origins and force you to move once more?" Aojiro asked. She stood with a condescending yet curious demeanor. If he rose to the bait and wallowed in self-pity, Aojiro would have no need for him in her guild. There were plenty of prospective individuals elsewhere. "Well yeah I did a pretty good job of hiding it, killed anyone who found out, simple stuff." Xero smiled gleefully as he stretched his arms out to his sides and smiled. Then Aojiro spoke, seeing through his rouse quite easily. Xero's smile faded as he stared straight up at her. "Well I guess I'm either as not as good as I thought I was or you are just quite the keen eye." Xero laughed dryly as he stood up, stretching to his full height and looking at Aojiro. He looked at her interestingly as she spoke those words, though she obviously meant something different by asking him about his future plans. "First off that isn't going to happen, trust me I make sure of it. Secondly this sounds more like a recruitment thing to me. If you are truly here to recruit me well then you came to the wrong place, I LOVE THESE HUMANS!" Xero spoke before shouting his love for humans. His face could only stay straight so long before he burst out laughing. Xero truly hated most humans and the thought of liking anyone in Magnolia Town filed him with laughter. "OH..Oh..geez ok I'm good sorry." He spat out as he caught his breath. "If this is truly a recruitment I'm in. It's not like I actually have anywhere to go." He spoke as he extended his hand towards hers. His theatrics amused her as he continued on his way. That Xero saw it as a recruitment meant warranted approval in her eyes: Xero was sharp to see the intentions of the veiled question. Combined with his ability to kill easily and without a conscience further strengthened his case in her eyes. Aojiro's smile grew vicious as he professed his love for humans before devolving into laughter. That alone told her all she needed to know; his hate for humans could prove useful in the future when it came time to move against these settlements. "Wonderful." she responded, knowing that soon her guild would paint the battlefields with the blood of their enemies. Such a prophetic vision warmed her black heart, watching the blood spill while soaking the ground. Rivers of red is what wove through the remains of the massacre. She returned to the present, her smile becoming angelic. Oddly, this was more chilling that her vicious smile of earlier. As if one could tell the gruesome images that appeared in her mind as great works of art. "Welcome to Succubus Eye. Now you will have a place to go." Aojiro stated before shaking his hand. Her red eyes met with his a shared moment of the sweet music they would create on the battlefront, tearing through opponents as if they were nothing more than the wind. "What, serioulsy I'm in?" Xero spoke in a stunned manner as he stared at the girl shaking his hand. "This is awesome I can finally be free of these annoying disgise my power shit." Xero shouted happily as he quickly created a rift before hopoing though. He laned in his apartment and grabbed eveything he actually wanted before tossing it into the rift and jumping back through. "Alright Aojiro I'm ready to go." Xero spoke with a glint of determination in his red eyes.